Moroccan king pardons 22 prisoners convicted in terrorism cases

The Moroccan King Mohammed VI granted his pardon to 450 inmates, including 22 individuals convicted in extremism and terrorism cases, the Moroccan Justice Ministry announced on Sunday.

The pardon came on the occasion of the anniversary of the Revolution of the King and the People, which marks the revolution launched by Moroccan people on Aug. 20, 1953 after French colonial authorities exiled the late king Mohammed V and the royal family.

According to a statement from the ministry, the pardoned people, who were convicted in extremism and terrorism cases, participated in the program known as “Reconciliation,” which aims at reintegrating the prisoners into society.

The pardon decision was made only after the prisoners proved they had revised their ideological orientations and officially announced their rejection to all forms of extremism and terrorism, the statement pointed out.

A total of 17 prisoners were exempted from the remaining terms, while two had their prison terms reduced and three commuted from life imprisonment to fixed prison terms, the same source noted.